Canmore can champion environmental legacy for Winter Olympics

Canmore council’s decision to become part of the Calgary BidCo group is said to come with no strings attached.

However, it seems like a fait accompli if Calgarians decide to vote in favour of the 2026 Winter Olympics and International Olympic Committee votes in favour of the Canada hosting the Games.

Yes, it is not hard to see that Canmore is heavily tied into any successful bid.

It is not that we are against Canmore’s participation, actually quite in support of Canmore being included in the 2026 Winter Olympics. Banff will also be pulled into the process at some point.

Canmore is certainly the leader when it comes to hosting Nordic events in Canada, while Banff — even if eventing is not in the cards — is going to see a windfall of tourism related spinoff should the Winter Games come to Canada.

However, this is where Canmore and Banff have to take a firm stand. The cost of having Winter Olympics events in the neighbourhood needs to align with how much the communities can afford. It also needs to be strongly advocated to Calgary BidCo early in the process, and laid out for the all to see. As well, the impact on the environment needs to be ascertained.

Certainly, it won’t be negligible when it comes to environmental impact but it should not have a long-term, negative detrimental effect. In fact, what would be best is if there is a legacy gain to the pristine nature of the Bow Valley landscape as well as the wildlife as part of the hosting process.

It is something that Canmore needs to champion through being part of the Calgary BidCo process.

It is something we hope every Bow Valley citizen can tie into when it comes to hosting the 2026 Winter Olympics.